June Highlights

This summer the Southwest Florida Museum of History pays homage to the maestro of mambo dance, Pedro “Cuban Pete” Aguilar, in its exhibition Mambo Kings. The show presents the life of Aguilar through traditional mambo music and moves, vibrant costumes and a look at the movie by the same name, which Aguilar choreographed. For more information, call 321-7430.

Take your pooch on a stroll through the Naples Botanical Garden during Dogs in the Garden. Dogs large and small are welcome every Sunday from 9–11 a.m or Thursday from 3–5 p.m. Fido must be up to date on all vaccinations and registrations. For more information, call 643-7275.

See It!

In his painting sunset Serenade, showing at DeBruyne Fine Art in Naples, Fritz Mayhew offers us a vista that is miles high and endlessly deep. He has chosen a low horizon line blurred by the mist from the wetlands of Florida. The sky and water are minutes from turning a silvery blue, and the afterglow of oranges and pinks is swiftly approaching. Mayhew has captured the light of the sunset using acrylic paint on canvas. He portrays the last few moments of a sunset easing into the darkness of night. The sky is permeated by clouds that have begun forming the shapes of mountains. The trunks of a few more than a dozen palm trees create strong green vertical elements as the painter has anchored them into the scattered stands of vegetation. He uses them to help define the distance between the foreground where we stand and the infinite distance beyond us.

Mayhew uses a 20-inch square canvas that allows him to balance all the elements in his cropped panoramic view. We want to own paintings such as this because they remind us of the majesty of nature and the preciousness of time. —Mark Ormond

This month the naples Players presents the family-friendly musical Pinkalicious!, the story of a girl whose overindulgence in pink cupcakes turns her pink from head to toe. The musical is based on the popular children’s book written by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann, and runs through June 26 on Saturdays and Sundays in the Toybe Studio. For more information or tickets, call 263-7990.

Don’t Miss It!

Buddy Valastro started baking cakes in his family’s bakery when he was 11 years old. Now, he’s achieved success as the Cake Boss through his TV show of the same name on TLC. His shop, Carlo’s Bakery, creates works of art from flour, sugar and eggs. For the past few years, Valastro also has showcased his boisterous personality on stage. Touring across the nation, he hosts an interactive show that entertains cake enthusiasts of all ages. On June 4, he stops at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers. For tickets, call 481-4849.

What happens in your stage show?
The show is set to music. It’s fast-paced, fun and very energetic. I call people up to help me decorate cakes. They compete against each other; the audience picks the winner, and I give out prizes. Then I tell my life story. I [also] do a wedding cake demo, take questions and answers, and then I have a great finale.

What’s the secret to a great cake?
Use great ingredients and do it the old-fashioned way.

What should we expect from the upcoming TV show season?
This season, we’ve got some crazy cakes coming up. We did a cake for NASA; I got a cake for the Transformers. The cakes just get sicker and sicker. —Kristie Aronow

25
Pocket change kicks off the annual SummerJazz on the Gulf series at 7 p.m. June 25. The six-member band plays blues, jazz and disco classics with a touch of funk. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs and snag a spot on the Watkins Lawn of the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club. Free parking is available at Lowdermilk Park with a Naples beach parking sticker. For details, call 261-2222.

Enjoy the free water-ski show at Miromar Outlets presented by Southern Extreme Water Ski Show Team at 4 p.m. each Sunday through July 2. Watch as talented local pros ski barefoot, show off tricks and create human pyramids. The team will be competing in Sarasota June 19 in the National Show Ski Association Southern Regional championship. For more information, visit www.southernextreme.com or call 200-1032.